Seasonal Love
by 13BC
Summary: Christmas is just around the corner and this year, love is in the air!
1. Chapter 1: Rough Day

**So, since it's almost Christmas and all, the many Christmas songs on the radio kind of inspired me to write this. I know there isn't much Sam/Andy stuff going on in this chapter just yet, but be patient. This is just a slight introduction (Ok, so it might have gotten a little longer than intended) and I had to break it up at one point. Please enjoy reading it and feel free to leave a comment!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own rookie blue…**

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><p>Chapter 1: Rough Day<p>

'So, have you decided if you're going to the Christmas party yet?' Traci asked for at least the hundredth time that week. It was beginning to become annoying.

'I'm not exactly in a partying mood, Trace,' I reminded her.

'I know, but a party might be exactly what you need right now,' Traci tried. There was no way she was going to give it up. Ever since she'd found out that there was going to be a Christmas party at the Penny tomorrow night, she had been trying to convince me to go. I wasn't really sure what was holding me back, I mean a night out with my friends was going to be a great night, right? Drinks, jokes, it all couldn't be that bad. But after the day I had had...

'Oh, come on Andy. It'll be fun!' Traci tried again. There really was no way she was going to give up.

'Fine, ok, I'll go to the party,' I said. I had to laugh as Traci's fist shot up in victory.

'Great, I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning, help you find the perfect dress to wear.'

I had been stuffing things in my bag, but I looked up at her comment.

'Ehm, I think I can manage to find something by myself,' I answered taken aback. Traci usually only helped me pick out an outfit if I had a date and the last one had been a long time ago. Tomorrow night was just a normal Christmas party, nothing special.

'I know you can, I just thought I help you since, well you know, it is Christmas and all...' I know I'm a bad liar. Like worst of them all, no one I know is a worse liar than me. But it was obvious Traci was trying to hide something from me and she wasn't doing too good of a job at it. I wanted to ask her about it, but I was too tired and decided to let it drop. I would find it out eventually and if it really was something important, Traci would spill it.

'You ready to go?' I asked, closing my locker shut and picking up my bag.

'Nah, but you go ahead. I'll see you there in a little bit.'

I walked of and out of the locker room. Eyes on the floor I saw nothing and no one in my path, making me all the more surprised when I walked head first into a wall. Only this was wasn't as rock solid a wall, it was quite muscular actually and it was somehow familiar. It even smelled familiar, I thought as I sniffed. Knowing what I would see when I looked up I slowly lifted my head to look in his eyes. There was concern there, mixed with something else.

He had moved his hands up to my shoulders to steady me as I had started to fall back, bouncing off of him.

'Sorry,' I muttered, eyes wandering over the rest of his face, lingering at his lips. Those perfect kissable lips.

'No worries,' he said to me, giving me his perfect smile that made my knees go weak and made me feel all mushy. His hands were still on my shoulders, and though I stood somewhat steadier now, it still felt reassuring.

'You going to the Penny?' he asked looking right into my eyes, I could feel a slight blush starting to make its way up my cheeks.

I nodded, not sure what sound my voice would produce once I opened my mouth, but pretty sure it wouldn't be anything understandable.

'You need a ride?' he offered.

'Yes, thanks,' I muttered. He held out his arm guiding me along. As we walked through the station I could feel his hand on the small of my back, spreading a warmth throughout my body.

We made our way over to his car in silence. It wasn't as if it was something we hadn't done at least a million times before, but somehow the air felt thicker now, as if something was about to happen. He held my door open for me and I got inside. The truck smelled like him and I couldn't help but sniffing deeply to take it all in. Immediately I felt all the worry and stress from the day slip off of me.

'Are you alright?' He asked once he was settled in his seat. I had been waiting for him to start about that one.

'I'm fine,' I said without looking up at him. He remained silent and eventually I gave in and looked at him. There was something about the way he looked at me sometimes that made it impossible to try and hide the truth.

'I was scared,' I admitted as I felt the tears starting to form in my eyes.

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><p>It had been early afternoon when Chris and I had been walking around a dodgy part of town. There were plenty of alley ways and a large amount of the drug activity in the city was taking place in that part of town. It was always more dangerous there, but then again bad things like that could happen everywhere, in any part of town.<p>

We had been walking around for a couple of minutes when we suddenly heard screams coming from one of the alleys. We ran down to the sound quickly and found a woman being held at gun point by some guy. I signaled for Chris to go to the other end of the alley in case the guy decided to make a break for it. Taking a deep breath I stepped out, my own gun ready in hand.

'Police,' I shouted slowly making my way over to the guy. 'Put the gun down and put your hands up.' The guy seemed to do what I told him to; he bend down and placed the gun on the ground. But before I could do as much as walk to him to cuff him he was already making a way for it.

'Chris, suspect's coming your way,' I spoke in my radio. I received a copy almost immediately and made my way over to the woman, who seemed terrified. I called into dispatch, requesting for back up and an ambulance. The poor woman must be in shock. I helped her up from the ground where she had fallen down, but before I was able to start making my way out of the alley to get her back to where the cruiser was parked, I heard a click of a gun being taken off safety.

Crap, crap, crap! I though. This could not be happening. This could NOT be happening!

I slowly turned and faced a guy, he could hardly be over sixteen, pointing the gun the other guy had left behind at me and the terrified woman. As if being held at gunpoint once a day wasn't bad enough.

I should have picked up the gun, I shouldn't have left it laying on the ground. Well, it was a little late for that now, I thought. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

'Suspect in custody,' I heard Chris come in through the radio. It seemed to startle the guy, who already looked rather jumpy. In that state he could be capable of pulling the trigger without warning.

The woman had tears streaming down her face and she was falling back down to the ground, curling up into a ball, rocking back and forth softly.

'Where is he? Where did you take him?' Great. He was trying to find someone who was probably long on his was over to prison.

'Where's who?' I asked carefully taking a step towards him.

'My brother,' he said looking around panicky. 'Where is he?'

'McNally, what's your twenty?' Chris' voice came over the radio again. I was sure that if I as much as moved to reply he would shoot.

'Don't answer that!' the guy called out at me.

I took a breath, calming down and letting my instincts take over. I once heard they were pretty good.

'Look, I don't know where your brother is. But if you keep pointing that gun at me, I'm pretty sure you'll never know either, because any minute now back up will arrive and they will take you down.'

He looked at me considering what I had just said. I was pretty sure I had managed to distract him enough from the fact that he held a gun in his hands, so I moved closer to try and take the gun from him.

And that was mistake number I-don't-even-know-how-many that day.

As soon as he saw me move, he took the gun in both of his hands and pointed it right at my head. If my situation wasn't bad enough already, it just got worse.

'Don't move!' he yelled. I took a deep breath and was about to say something, when I heard footsteps. They were getting closer, moving their way through the alley's.

'Police! Put your hands up!' Traci called as she rounded the corner. The guy was so surprised I managed to walk up to him and take the gun from his hands. Traci came to me and cuffed the guy.

'You're under arrest...' I couldn't hear the rest of what she told him, as I was dropping to my knees, too weak to stand any longer.

I vaguely noticed as Traci took the guy away and how Oliver went over to the woman to help her. I couldn't move, I just sat these until I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking up I saw Traci's concerned face.

'Are you alright?' She asked. I nodded. I would be fine as soon as I got out of here, had a long shower and found my pride again.

But before any of that happened, I had a ton of paperwork to fill out and forms to sign and people to talk to. It wasn't until the end of shift that I was able to take a few moments to myself to gain back some of the control I had lost during the day.

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><p>He pulled me close and held me tight as I sniffed, remembering the day's events. I had acted stupid and it had gotten me in an extremely dangerous situation.<p>

'It's ok, Andy. It's all ok,' Sam said soothingly. It calmed me down and after a moment I was able to look up, however reluctant to move away from his embrace.

'I'm alright,' I said, managing half a smile. He didn't look completely convinced, but he did started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

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><p><strong>Thank you for taking the time to read this and please let me know what you thought of it.<strong>

**There'll be more interaction between Andy and Sam in later chapters, this is just the first chapter. It's quite a busy time right now for me, but I'll try to update as soon as I can.**

**B**


	2. Chapter 2: Close Distance

Hi! Thank you all so much for your sweet responses to the first chapter. I really appreciate the reviews, alerts and favorites! It is always good to know what you think about the story, so please let me know what your thoughts are! And also, please enjoy the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own rookie blue…

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><p>Chapter 2: Close Distance<p>

The short drive over to the Black Penny was in silence. When Sam pulled into the parking lot, we sat in silence a little while longer, before Sam unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of his truck. He came around to my side of the truck and opened my door.

'Are you sure you don't just want to go home?' He asked. The concern in his voice was obvious.

Though going home, taking a nice warm bath and crawling into bed seemed like a very appealing idea to me just about now, a drink was what I could really use at the moment. Beside, Sam's presence really helped bring me back to myself too.

I got out of the car and he shut the door for me. Together we walked into the bar.

'If you need a ride home, let me know,' he said his face close to my ear. I felt a shiver go down my spine as his breath tickled on the skin just below my ear.

I stood frozen for a moment, watching him walk away towards his usual spot. He set down next to Oliver and signaled to the bartender to order. I could probably stand there all day watching him.

I took a breath and walked over to Chris and Dov, who had been calling for me to join them ever since I got in.

'How are you?' Chris asked concerned. It was obvious he blamed himself for my being held at gunpoint earlier that day.

'I'm fine.' Luckily, that one still worked with them. Only a few people could see through that ploy. Well, Sam was probably the only one who could. Sam. My eyes wandered over to where he was for a short moment.

'Well, I think it's amazing how you handled that!' Dov said enthusiastically. He was beaming from ear to ear and I couldn't help but join in. Though getting to bed early still seemed like a good idea, it wouldn't hurt to be here a little while. My mood was already getting better, though that might be the courtesy to Sam sitting in my line of vision.

'Hey, guys,' Traci said as she joined us a little later. I saw Jerry joining Oliver and Sam at the bar. They started up a conversation about Gail's latest actions, but I zoned out, staring down the drink that was placed on the table in front of me.

I could have died today. If Traci and the others had come just a minute later, who knows what could have happened? It was risky enough at it was, to think it could have been worse…

´Andy? You want another drink?´ Traci asked.

´I´ll go get it,´ I said getting up and taking their orders. I walked up to the bar and gave my order to the bartender. I purposefully had chosen to go to the other end of the bar, the end where Sam was not sitting. Though he seemed to have a calming effect on me, he was sure to notice that I still wasn't one hundred percent after today.

I had just picked up my order and wanted to turn around when I felt a breath on the skin of my neck. To not take any risks I placed the tray back down and turned around. Sam was standing right behind me, too close.

'Hi,' I muttered. Oh yeah, he was definitely standing way too close. But yet I couldn't help but lean into him slightly as well.

'Hey,' he said placing his hands against the bar on either side of me. The way he was looking at me almost made me feel as if he could look straight through me.

'Are you sure you want to take that other drink?' He asked me, looking over my shoulder at the tray.

'Yes. Sam, really, I am...'

'Fine. Yeah you said that before. But sooner or later the people that care are gonna notice that that's not true.'

I looked over at the table where my friends sat. They were huddled together, talking about something and they kept stealing glances at me. Great. That would mean a worried conversation from their part the moment I got back. Though I disliked it, it wasn't the only reason why I didn't want to leave the spot where I was right now. That damn calming effect Sam had on me. It was really starting to become annoying.

'But I am, really,' I said again, only this time, it was easier to say it. I was fine now that Sam was close.

'Ok, one more drink and then I'm taking you home,' he said before walking back to his seat.

I picked up the tray and walked back to my own table. They hadn't noticed me coming and were still talking animated as I got there.

'No, no, no, guys. I'm telling you, this plan will work. All is set; tomorrow is the day.'

'Tomorrow is what day?' I asked, placing their drinks in front of them. They looked up in shock and if I hadn't been so curious to find out what they had been talking about, it probably would have been very funny.

'Leo's spelling test. This girl is always getting better marks than he is, but tomorrow is going to be his day,' Traci said. I nodded unconvinced and sat down. They were planning something, that was for sure. It probably wouldn't be too hard to figure out what it was, if I would want to make the effort. I didn't really feel us for it at the moment and since tomorrow was apparently the day, I would have to do my digging during shift tomorrow.

'So you and Swarek were getting pretty close at the car just now. Case to share what's going on there?' Dov asked, smoothly changing the subject as I took a sip from my drink.

'Nothing, he just asked to tell him if I needed a ride home, that's all.' Yes I was aware that my voice was shaking slightly as I said that and I was aware that it was practically a lie and that he had pretty much ordered me to let him drive me home after one last drink.

'Really? That's all? Coz it kinda looked like, you know...,' Chris said.

I looked at him with a look that said: don't push this any further. He seemed to get the message, taking a rather large gulp from his beer.

'So why are you still sitting here?' Traci asked as she looked at me. 'Go over there and take him up on his offer!'

'No,' I said indicating my drink. 'I'm not done with this yet.' It was a stupid, silly, lame excuse. I mean I really did want to be with him, but part of me felt that if I would head over there right away, I would seem a little too eager, even if that was exactly what I was.

Traci looked at me as if I had hit my head, but then she seemed to remember the gun incident. Maybe in a way that did count as hitting your head.

The boys started chatting away about some crazy car accident Dov had witnessed earlier that day. Two cars had bumped into each other and it had been the fault of one of the drivers but he had apparently disagreed with that conclusion. It had been a mess and in the midst of it all nobody seemed willing to cooperate. In the end Dov had to chase the guy to make sure if wouldn't flee the scene.

The guys made some jokes and we laughed about things that had happened over the past week, but eventually my glass was empty.

'You ready to go?' A voice whispered in my ear almost the second I placed my empty glass on the table. I didn't need to turn around to see who it was. It could only be Sam.

'Yep,' I said getting up from my chair and putting on my coat.

Traci reminded me that she would pick me up in the morning. I waved at them as Sam gently guided me out through mass of people that had arrived at the bar.

Snow had stated to fall, I noticed as we came outside. I put my gloves on and shrugged a little deeper into my coat. We got into the car quickly and Sam got the heating going. We were silent as he started driving.

'So, thanks for driving me home.' I looked at him, his eyes focused on the road ahead.

'No problem,' was his simple reply. 'Was on my way out anyway.' I was about ninety-nine percent sure that that wasn't true, but I kept my mouth shut. It was really nice of him to go to the lengths if did for of.

'So, Jerry kept going on about this Christmas party at the Penny tomorrow.'

'Yeah, Traci's practically forcing me to go,' I said. 'Are you planning on going?' Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes! My mind was screaming. He smiled softly.

'I don't know,' he said chuckling. 'Would you want me to come?'

Why was he asking this to me? I thought panicky. Of course I wanted him to come, of course I wanted that chance to spend some extra time with him before we he'd a couple of days off to spend the holydays. We had both been lucky enough to get Christmas free.

'I guess it could be fun if you were there as well. I wouldn't have to spend all my time with Doc, Chris and Trace, who would probably manage to drive me crazy. I mean just now they just kept asking questions about today and...' I know I stopped midsentence, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to continue. I mean, if I told him what else they had been bugging me about, who knew what he would say? I wasn't even sure if I wanted him to know.

'Don't worry, I'll keep you company,' he said looking over at me quickly, grinning at me. 'I'll be there for you,' he added in softer voice, that made me doubt whether I heard him correctly.

'Thanks,' I said, feeling a slight blush rise up my cheeks.

We turned on to my street. My still rather new street. Though I had been living there for the past five months, ever since my break up with Luke, it still didn't really feel like home.

He pulled up in front of my building and shut off the engine.

'You have the early shift tomorrow?' he asked.

'Yes,' I answered. It surprised me that he didn't just assume it, given the amount of times we rode together.

'Well, I guess I'll see you at parade than.'

'Thanks for the ride, Sam,' I said as I got out of the car. I considered leaning back in to kiss his cheek, but something - I don't know exactly what it was - stopped me.

I had shut the door and I was almost at the door to my building when I heard his voice.

'McNally,' he called out, causing me to spin around. 'Try not to be too late tomorrow morning.'

As I stood there watching him with what must be an odd look on my face, Sam closed the window and drove away. I turned back around and got inside my building. Why did he have to say that? I wasn't late all the time.

But he had promised he'd be there for me, even though I knew he didn't like those type of parties very much. He was still going to be there for me.

The same tingly feeling I got whenever Sam was near me was starting to make its way throughout my body. It felt warm, comfortable, right.

It took me a long time to fall asleep that night as I tossed and turned and tried not to think of Sam too much.


	3. Chapter 3: Getting Ready

Thank you for the reviews and alerts! They make me really happy!

It took me a little longer to get this chapter out, it turned out as a filler chapter and it was slightly shorter than I had hoped, but it was the right place to cut it off. Please let me know your thoughts!

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><p>Chapter 3: Getting Ready<p>

The alarm went off far too early for my liking, but I had no choice but to get up. Traci would be here soon for the inevitable dress picking. I wasn't even sure why she was so set on helping me pick out an outfit, just as I wasn't sure why she wanted me to come to the party, though now that I knew Sam was coming I knew I would be fine.

I yawned. My night's sleep hadn't been as bad as I had expected it to be considering the previous day's events. Nightmares stayed far away and though I couldn't remember what it was exactly there was a strange form of happy bliss coming over me as I got out of bed.

After a quick shower and getting dressed I went over to the kitchen to get the coffee going and eat breakfast. I had just poured my second cup of coffee when the doorbell rang.

When I answered the door I looked straight into Traci's annoyed face.

'What's with you?' I asked as I let her pass and followed her back to the kitchen.

'Leo was whiney all morning and then Dex called to say that he couldn't take Leo tomorrow afternoon, which means I can't go blow off some steam before heading back home.' She had let herself drop down onto a stool at the counter.

'Can I have some?' she asked spotting the fresh coffee.

I poured her a cup too and sat down to listen to her rant a little longer.

'Dex keeps saying if wants to spend more time with Leo, but then he keeps on doing things like this and... I don't know. It's just difficult I guess.'

'Trace,' I said looking at her. 'You are a doing a wonderful job. No matter how difficult Dex makes things for you, you always manage to do the right things.'

'Thanks Andy,' she said, giving me a slight smile.

'So, what do you say we'll start finding you something to wear for tonight?' she asked getting up from the table and making her way to my bedroom.

Thirty minutes later I sat at the side of my bed, most of the clothes I owned scattered around me. It was hopeless trying to convince Traci to just let me wear my black dress I had intended to wear. According to her it wasn't fit for the night. My sneaky inquiries as to what exactly was needed to fit tonight were to no avail. It might be harder to crack her than I had originally thought.

'When was the last time you went shopping?' Traci asked falling down next to me. It was quite clear she was losing faith since we would have to leave soon were we to arrive at the station in time.

'I don't know, when I moved in here, I guess.' The look on her face said it all.

'Ok, we'll just have to make do with what we've got,' Traci said as she got up. I noticed her staring at something at the foot of my closet. I watched her walk towards it and pick up a bag that sat in the corner. The moment I saw it I recognized it. It was the bag of clothes I had bought last month. I had forgotten about them, too caught up in work.

'What is this?' Traci asked, opening the bag and letting it's content fall on the bed. Both of our attention was caught by the blue fabric emerging from below all other clothes. Traci held out the dress to me.

'Andy, this dress is gorgeous! Where did you get it?'

'Over at that store downtown, across from headquarters. I had to go down there to fill out some paper work last month, just before the missing kid case. I'd forgotten I even bought it.'

'Well, I think mission accomplished. You will totally rock it if you're wearing this tonight.'

I let the dress go through my fingers. It was a beautiful dress, but did I really want to wear it tonight? I had hoped to safe it for a night a little more special, if I was being honest.

But, I figured, sometimes you just have to take the chance at the right moment. And who knew, with all the planning Traci and the guys were up to, who knew what kind of special things might happen tonight?

With the dress situation settled we made our way to the station, arriving to parade on time. I noticed Sam throwing me a look that I thought showed impression, but I wasn't too sure how I could take that. I mean, last night he had pretty much implied that he thought I always came running into parade late. Before I could take another look to make sure I wasn't imagining things, he was looking straight ahead, eyes on the front of the room. A little unsettled I turned around as well.

Best started his usual banter and I was paired with Sam for the day. I was glad. I always preferred riding with him. Somehow the shift always passed by quicker and more pleasantly. I didn't trust anyone at the station the way I trusted Sam and considering the job we did, that meant a lot.

We met at the cruiser and he did something I hadn't expected him to do; he handed me the keys to the cruiser. Though he had let me drive in the past, the reason was usually a little more obvious, like him having a hangover. He seemed to be fine now though.

'What is this about?' I asked after safely taking the keys from him and getting them out of his immediate reach.

'Just figured you might want to drive,' he said, showing off his dimples before settling down in the passenger's seat. I stood frozen for a moment, not quite sure what to make of it.

'Are you planning on standing there all day, or shall we get this party on the road?' Sam asked, peaking his head out of the window. Yep, there was definitely something in the air today.

Most of the shift past in no time, we were asked to assist on several other incidents, but didn't get any direct calls.

In a way it was slightly disappointing that I wasn't paired with Chris or Dov, that way I might have (alright, would have) been able to figure out what they were planning to do tonight.

It was nearly four when we pulled up at the station. At our last back up assistance we had picked up a suspect. As I hauled him out of the car and into the station, Sam was kind enough to open the door to me. Of course it might have been due to the fact that it was close to impossible for me to open the door with a suspect in hand. The smile that had started to make its way across my face, suddenly fell as that thought crossed my mind.

I pushed my way past him, brushing past him slightly. The warm tingly feeling started to make its way through my body again. What was that? How could I make that stop?

We booked the guy and brought him to interrogation. As we walked back out to find Jerry, the suspect kept screaming at us and I was glad to leave the room.

After filing out the necessary paperwork I sat looking around the room. It was busy, even though it was in fact the end of shift. Aside from the usual coming and going of officers there seemed to be an awful lot of citizens walking around the station, reporting all sorts of minor crimes that would usually keep me busy till deep in the night as well. Christmas craziness if you'd ask me.

But not tonight.

I saw Chris and Dov talking together, Dov with his phone in hand, alternating between talking to it and Chris. I stood up and started to make my way over to them. I had to know what it was now that I was well rested and able to go fight for the truth. But I never made it to the guys as Sam suddenly appeared in my line of vision. Out of nowhere he just stood in front of me all of a sudden. I had a hard time keeping the shock from my face as he spoke.

'Jerry's in with the suspect now. Guy can't make a case for himself even if the evidence wasn't as overwhelming as it is.'

'Good, then maybe we can all get out of here at a decent time.' I looked up to where Chris and Doc stood moments before. They had gone, I had no idea where to, but it seemed as if faith was against me finding out what they were up to. I would just have to let it slip. They were my friends after all; they wouldn't do something to embarrass me or make me feel uncomfortable, now would they?

Had it been just Dov, I wouldn't have been too sure about that fact.

'Yeah, the thing at the penny. Would you believe Oliver just came up to me to ask me if I was planning on showing up?'

Traci, Jerry, Oliver. Dov and Chris acting all weird. What was it? I was starting to believe it wasn't just me they were after.

Looking at Sam's face, I noticed the calmness there. He obviously wasn't making any connections like I was.

'Really?' I asked, hoping if wouldn't catch on to the distance that was surely projected in my voice. 'Well, you are still coming, right?'

Instead of answering he just have of his full dimple smile, making me fuzzy and I was pretty sure it took me longer than usual to hear Traci calling out to me.

'Hey, Andy. Are you ready yet?'

I looked up from my daze like state to see her standing just a few feet away. As I turned around I could just make out Sam's retreating back disappearing in the crowd. I turned back to Traci.

'Let's go!'

I showered longer than usual, taking the time to wash my hair and calm the unsettling feeling that was starting to form in the pit of my stomach. Eventually I did emerge from the shower and started to dress in the outfit Traci had helped me find. As I let the dress slide over my shoulders I remembered all the reasons I had bought it.

Traci made me sit down on the bench after I was dressed and started to work on my makeup. I let her do it. There was most certainly no way to argue her now. She pulled my hair back and then decided to just let it hang loose as I had been intending to do from the start.

'Alright,' she said eventually taking a step back and looking at her result. The locker room was basically empty now and we were destined to make a maybe not so fashionable late entrance at the party. 'It's show time!'

Show time? I thought, not at all understanding what she was talking about. Alright then, I told myself. I guess here I go.

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><p>Thanks for reading! Please leave a review to let me know what you thought!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4: Christmas Spirit

Thank you so much for your reviews! They were amazing and I'm glad to know you seem to want to know what the plan is. You should be able to figure it out in this chapter.

It's been a bit longer than I had planned, but I was trying to work out where to break this chapter up. It was starting to get too long and I didn't want to put the result of the plan you are all so curious about in here just yet. Good thing is that the next chapter shouldn't take too long, though.

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

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><p>Chapter 4: Christmas Spirit<p>

We entered the penny were it was crowded. The dress code was slightly more formal than it usually was, so I didn't feel too self conscious about the fact that I was wearing the dress I was wearing.

Traci tagged me along to our usual table where Dov and Chris were already waiting on us.

'Wow, you two look nice,' Chris said, looking up in surprise. It was obvious that he wasn't used to seeing either me or Traci dressed this way.

'Nice? They look incredible!' Dov exclaimed enthusiastically. We had sat down and I had taken a glass that was already placed on the table filling it with beer.

'Hey guys. Mind if I join you?' I looked up and looked straight into Gail's eyes. She looked paler than she had before, but then again, I hadn't really seen her in a couple of weeks.

'S...sure,' Dov muttered. It wasn't really surprising, we all knew he had a soft spot for her, all but Chris, but I'd thought he'd still be kind of mad at her since the whole messy incident from two months back. Yet he didn't object. Well, it was Christmas and all…

She sat down on the chair between me and Chris. Tough she was a part of our group it was still strange seeing her back here.

'So,' Chris said to me. It sounded off, forced.' Did you have a busy day?' That was too odd a question for me to have even considered it. Did I have a busy day? He was one of my coworkers, he knew how busy my days were, he had the same damn days!

But as he asked it, I could swear I heard Traci ask Dov quietly: 'Did you get him to do it?'

'Ehm, yeah, not busier than any another day.' I looked at Gail and saw the wonder on her face as well. Apparently it wasn't just me. I threw a quick look at Dov and Traci and saw the former nod in agreement. I didn't even attempt to grasp the meaning behind all the talking and whispering that was going on. Things always had a way of coming out, one way or the other.

'So Gail,' Traci started as I braced myself; this could get nasty. 'Why aren't you with homicide Luke?' Though I hated to admit it, I had been wondering the exact same thing myself too. I had been sort of happy that the two of them had found each other, I mean they weren't that different, really, but I still wondered. Both had reportedly been moping around the station all week

'We broke up.' The reply was short and to the point, as was to be expected from Gail.

'Why?' Dov asked bluntly, not bothering with the fact that what he was saying might just be very rude.

Instead of a reply he got a sharp pointed look from Gail that would stop anyone from asking more questions and the rest of us burst out laughing at his sullen expression.

'Sorry,' Dov muttered, ducking his head.

'I figured he would have gotten back with Jo by now,' Chris said, causing both Gail and me to snap our heads up. He looked between the two of us, our eyes prying for an explanation.

We didn't get an explanation. Conversation stirred to more common conversation, Christmas plans and family outings took over.

'Leo's been bugging me about Santa all week. He's so worried he won't get his presents on time.'

'How do you keep that rugrat from finding out? I would have broken the news to him by now.'

'Well, not everyone is as cold and heartless as you, Gail,' Traci replied anger apparent in her voice. I had to bite my lip not to burst out laughing at Gail's face.

Music was playing and I saw some people taking over an area that had obviously been cleared as a dance floor. Looking around, I saw more things that were out of the ordinary for the place, Christmas decorations hung everywhere, lights glistening and mistletoe looming dangerously in dark corners. I would have to keep my eyes open and try my best to avoid them. There was no way I was going to give in to those seasonal nuisances.

From the corner of my eye I saw how Traci's face cleared up all of a sudden. I turned around and saw Jerry, Oliver and Sam walk in. I was vaguely aware of the smile that was making its way across my face.

They looked over and Sam threw me a smile.

It was probably a good thing I was already seated because the way my knees felt in that moment I was sure to have fallen to the ground had I been standing.

They moved over to their usual spot at the bar. What was it with most man that they just had to sit at the bar? Had we given Dov and Chris their way we'd be up there right now as well. I supposed it wouldn't be too bad with the company we would have had tonight.

'Ok, that's the last of the beer. Who's gonna get some more?' I heard Traci's voice coming in from afar. I focused on the group in front of me again and noticed the empty glasses. Somehow I had downed my without realising I was doing so.

'I'll go,' I offered already standing up and gathering the empty glasses.

'Thank you Andy, you're our hero!' Dov exclaimed. I wondered just how much he had had to drink before me and Traci joined them.

Smiling to myself I made my way over to the bar. Something - an electric pulse, perhaps? - made me go stand right at the spot next to Sam. I ordered the usual for everyone and waited.

'So, still not sick of them there?' Sam's voice asked suddenly from closer than I had thought possible. I was sure it was his breath tickling on the skin of my neck. I turned towards him. The music in the room seemed to have been turned softer in just one instant and I was positive that my palms were starting to get a little sweaty.

'I don't think it's going to take much more,' I answered truthfully. Their sneaking around whispers behind my back were starting to creep me out and though I had given up on _trying_ to find out what it was, it didn't mean I wasn't anxious to find out what the hell it was that was going on.

'Maybe we could give you a little break, have a dance.'

I couldn't believe what he was suggesting. Of all things I that ever crossed my mind, this surely wasn't one of them.

'You... dance...?' I knew the question came out more as an accusation. Of all the things...

'Sure, for the right person.'

'Still, I never picked you for the dancing type.' I chose not to respond to the 'the right person' part. Just trying to think about it got me all clouded up.

'There's a lot you don't know about me and the thinks I do.'

I took a step closer to him, don't ask me why. It just happened.

'Like what?' So what if I was being snoopy? Something in me had to know.

He moistened his lips before speaking.

'I cook, I clean, I'm good with tools...'

'And you dance!' I brought in. I just couldn't help it. I simply had to.

'So what do you say?'

The bartender had placed the drinks in front of me.

'I should get this to the others first.'

'I'm waiting here when you're ready.' I had started to walk away. 'If you're ready.'

I didn't turn. I know he kind of came here because of me.

'That took you long enough!' Traci said as I placed the drinks on the table. A strange disappointed look crossed her face.

'Yeah, well, I got caught up,' I said, trying to shrug it off.

'Saw you getting cozy with Swarek just now. What was all that about?' Gail asked.

'Nothing, just talking about… stuff.' It wasn't actually a lie.

'Just stuff. Right,' Traci said. The look she gave me made it clear she was thinking 'just stuff' meant a whole lot more than just that.

I counted the glasses twice before realizing it was my own I had forgotten.

'I'll be right back, you guys,' I said. How could I have been so stupid as to have forgotten my own drink?

'Wait, I'll come with you,' Traci said. I looked at her, confusion in my eyes. 'Jerry keeps waving me over.'

'Some men…' I muttered under my breath.

'So, what were you and Swarek really talking about?' Traci asked the second we were out of ear shot from the others.

'Stuff.' I looked at her. 'Dancing.'

She stopped me halfway over to the bar.

'Dancing?' Her eyes told me she wasn't buying it.

'Yeah, in case I needed a break from you guys,' I answered.

'So, do you?'

'With that love triangle sitting at our table? Hell yeah!'

'And you're sure it's _just_ because of that?' Traci asked.

Was I sure it was all just about that?

I was pretty sure it wasn't about that at all. The urge – ok, fine, the _need_ – to go over to him and just drag him to that dance floor was overwhelming. But I couldn't exactly do that. He was my partner and though he no longer was my TO, there was still something holding me back. I was scared of being turned down by him.

I mean, look at him. Mr. awesome. How could I ever be that lucky?

Traci raised her eyebrow before walking over to kiss Jerry.

I moved over to my old spot at the bar to wait for my drink. I felt Sam's presence, but I didn't move to talk to him. Too many thoughts were going through my head at the moment.

'Back so soon?' Of course he had to speak to me. And, yes, I realized the irony since I'm usually the one to break the silence and to talk while he remains quiet.

'Forgot my drink,' I murmured, hoping he wouldn't hear it.

Somebody bumped into me. I didn't bother looking up; it was only to be expected on a crowded night like this.

'Have I told you how nice you look in that dress.' It wasn't a question, just a statement. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and lowered my head.

'Thanks.' Was it possible my voice had gotten even softer just now?

Why was I acting this way? Usually I wasn't like this around him. Usually I could contain myself.

Traci and her placing doubt, questions and wonder in my mind!

I felt like someone – other than Sam – was watching me and when I threw an inconspicuous look over my shoulder I realized that the rest of the table had gathered up a couple of feet behind me. It was an odd thing for them to do, but what probably surprised me most was that it wasn't just them; half the people I worked with seemed to have gathered.

'What is it?' Sam asked noticing my discomfort. I never got a chance to answer.

'Swarek, McNally, isn't it about time for that kiss?' Frank called from behind us.

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><p>Please let me know what you thought in a review!<p>

Merry Christmas!


	5. Chapter 5: Mistletoe

Ok, I know some of you already know what the plan is, some of you may not know just yet but this chapter will reveal it all. I also tried to make this one a bit longer than the previous chapter, as requested by one of you and I'm pretty sure the rest of you won't mind either.

I hope questions asked will be somewhat explained in this chapter, but if not let me know and I'll explain some more!

Enjoy this chapter!

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><p>Chapter 5: Mistletoe<p>

Kiss? What kiss? What in the world was he talking about? Panic rose in my chest as I turned to face them all, question marks written all over my face.

I was vaguely aware of Noelle's voice accusing Frank of his boldness, but the words didn't seem to enter completely. The first words I could comprehend came from a much closer range.

'What are you talking about?' Sam asked, he had turned as well and his arm was pleasantly pressed against mine.

Traci, a huge smirk plastered across her face, raised her eyebrows at me and pointed to something above our heads.

I dreaded looking up, pretty sure I knew what it was that was hanging from the ceiling.

When I finally did manage to cast my eyes upwards the small plant greeted me. It was like it was challenging me to … I don't know, kiss Sam? That was after all what it was supposed to be there for. I knew I should have kept a better eye out, I just knew something like this was going to happen.

However, something in the way Traci looked at me made me believe it wasn't just a coincidence. She knew this was going to happen. She had this whole thing planned!

Who else would know where Sam would sit and where I would stand to get drinks? It could have only been with Jerry and the boy's help that she was capable of pulling this off. Jerry and Oliver would have had to make sure that Sam was even going to show up and sit in the right spot. She knew me well enough to figure out that that would be where I would get the drinks.

'This is ridiculous!' I said under my breath so Sam would be the only one to hear it. Of course I wanted to kiss Sam. There was probably nothing I wanted more for a very long time now. But I didn't want it to be like this! When we would kiss it shouldn't have to be because of some plant hanging from the ceiling in the holiday tradition. It should be because we both felt that way. If he'd kiss me now, I would never know if that was what he really felt.

'What, not into the whole Christmas spirit?' he asked raising an eyebrow. I had been going on and on about Christmas for the past few weeks while we were out on patrolling the streets together.

'They arranged this!' I said. All I got in reply was another raised eyebrow. That should have upset me, the lack of proper reply, but it didn't. It gave me a strange sense of hope, like maybe, just maybe he wouldn't kiss me just because of the mistletoe.

I didn't have a chance to register what exactly happened next. One second we were standing there looking at each other with our eyes practically super glued together and the next…

Well, the next moment he kissed me.

It was just a small kiss on my lips. I barely had time to close my eyes and enjoy the touch before he had broken it off again. My eyes fluttered open in confusion.

As they locked with his I saw all the things in them I had seen once before, over a year ago during the blackout. That want and need.

He moved in and kissed me again.

This kiss wasn't like the one we shared moments before. It was nothing like the little peck on the lips we had shared that time he'd kissed me on the undercover operation but it wasn't anything like that first kiss either.

His lips were soft and warm against mine. His hands came up to my waist to pull me closer to him, and still it wasn't close enough. With my hands cradled around his neck, I pulled his head impossibly closer to mine, lips granting him the excess he was asking for.

Then all of a sudden he broke away. Sound seemed to poor in through my ears suddenly. I hadn't realized the cheers that had erupted from the crowd surrounding us. I was slightly disoriented and couldn't focus well on who were there, but it seemed as though everybody in the bar had turned towards us and was clapping.

'So how about that dance, McNally?' he asked, voice deep.

I shook my head and leaned back into him, kissing him again. I could hear everybody cheering again and a 'He!' (presumably from Dov) when we broke apart.

´Dance with me.´

Dance. Right. He'd asked me to dance before. Was I willing to do that? Spend a little time in Sam´s arms?

I couldn't think of any reason why I was even asking myself that question.

I let him guide me to the dance floor. He twirled me so we were face to face. I was closer to him than I had expected. He'd put one arm around my waist and had taken my hand in his other. I moved my free hand to his shoulder and let it rest there as we started moving slowly to the beat. I almost had to laugh at the irony of the song that was playing. All I want for Christmas. Well, it was true.

Our bodies were pressed against each other and I could feel every part of him. I mean literary every part.

As we spun around I threw a quick look over his shoulder to see Traci and the rest of them standing at the bar, smiling widely. As I place my head on his shoulder I couldn't help but smile too.

It was simple. Not at all as hard as I had made it out to be. I wished I could stay there with Sam forever, just turning in little circles, arms wrapped around each other. Ok, so maybe that was a lie and maybe I wanted more than just that. But I would have been perfectly content to stay this way, pressed up against him.

I don't know how long we stood there on the dance floor, moving slightly to the ever changing beats, but suddenly he seemed to have had enough of it. He pulled me closer and brushed his lips softly against mine.

'So,' he said moments later, dimpled smile full on in place. 'Wanna get out of here?'

Why had I been denying what I had so obviously been feeling all this time? I couldn't see any of the reasons that were holding me back before. He was there and he wanted us to leave, together. The way he'd just kissed me got me fuzzier than ever before. The warm tingly feeling spreading throughout my body. Was there any way that could get even better?

It drove the fear right out of my mind and I took the chance I had been dying to take since... I couldn't even remember how long.

I nodded my head in agreement, not trusting that the words that would come out at this point would make any sense. My head was turning into a mud pool because of his hands slowly rubbing up and down my sides.

He guided me back to the bar and grabbed his jacket. Placing his hand at the small of my back he walked me back to the table I had occupied before so I could grab my things.

The others had made themselves scarce, giving us privacy I expected. But naturally, that assumption was wrong.

We moved to the exit, Sam's hand still on my back, rubbing slow circles. For some reason his presence had drowned out the music and voices, keeping them at a soft volume in the back of my mind, as a background sound to the blood I could hear rushing through my head.

Suddenly that changed.

When we walked by the bar where we had just stood, a massive applause seemed to emerge all of a sudden. Clapping of hands, screaming, whistles. I looked up and saw them cheering for us as we left. This time it wasn't just a friend giving a friend a ride home.

We drove to his house barely speaking a word. For once I couldn't think of anything to say. Anticipation crept through my mind as we stopped at his house.

I had to smile as I saw the Christmas decorations in front of his windows.

'Sarah came by,' he muttered before opening his door.

The walk to his house was quiet, almost awkward, but all changed when he'd closed the door behind us and pinned me to the wall next to it.

The look in his eyes… How could I have missed it? If only I seen it as clear before as I was seeing it now.

We stood for a moment, just staring at each other, neither one of us moving as much as an inch. Then slowly, ever so slowly he moved his head closer to mine.

When our lips met this time, in the privacy of his house, I could feel the fireworks exploding throughout my body. I had no idea where they were coming from, all I knew was that it was that it felt amazing.

I vaguely remembered a situation where I had him pushed up against the wall. Though the situation was different, less driven by fear and worry and more by attraction, though that had been present in the past as well, the desire was still there. The need to feel him, have his body pressed so fervently against mine was still there.

He'd moved his mouth away from mine and had moved it to my neck. Sucking on the skin there he moved his hands upwards. I felt my breath hitch and pulled his head back up to mine.

Out coats had dropped to the floor the moment our hands got otherwise engaged and they were slightly in the way as we moved away from the wall. Just like that time over a year ago I had no idea where we were going. He guided me, while we were still plastered together, towards his bedroom without bumping into a wall.

I tugged on the hem of his shirt, pulling it up over his head in one swift movement. We broke off briefly, staring at each other again and breathing heavily. He pulled me closer again and placed a couple of soft kisses on my lips. The need for more than that was almost unbearable.

He pulled away and I felt his hand reach behind me to the zipper of my dress. He undid it and the fabric fell to the floor. I placed my hands around his neck and threw my legs around his body. His hands moved to my thighs, supporting me as he made his way over to the bed and softly placed me down there.

He hovered over me for a short moment, looking at me with _that_ look again. The blood rose to my cheeks again and I could feel heat starting to rise in other places as well. My hand went through his hair, brushing through it. I leaned up as he leaned down and our lips met again and started moving together.

It wasn't just the mistletoe. It wasn't just because it was the right thing to do. It was because he wanted to. We both wanted to.

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><p>I curled up, my head resting on his chest. Somehow it was a perfect fit with his arms tightly around me pulling me closer.<p>

'It was still inappropriate of them to do that,' I muttered in his chest. Though I was eventually grateful for what our friends had done – I mean, really, wow best night ever – I was upset that they had had that little faith in us. We would have made it eventually.

'They were more impatient than I was,' Sam said to my hair. I could feel his lips brushing it.

'Oh, yeah?' I asked, looking up to see his face. I'd begun to miss looking at it.

'Yeah, I had to wait two years for you. Would have waited longer if I had to.'

'Why didn't you say anything? I mean, after the blackout it seemed as if it were nothing to you.'

'It was definitely not nothing.'

Yeah, well, I'd gotten that idea myself just now. His hand started running down my back in strange patterns. It felt great. I traced my hand up to his chest and let it rest there.

'Definitely.'

I leaned up, kissing his lips. How had I gone this long without doing that?

There were words stuck in my throat. Words I wanted to say so badly, but the timing wasn't right. It was too early, too soon. But the words were true.

Sam must have noticed the absentminded look on my face.

'You ok?' It sounded honest and worried.

I smiled wildly.

'I'm great.'

I leaned up and threw my leg around his body. His hands came up to my waist pulling me down to him.

'Good.'

Our lips met again, our kisses were heated and pressing. I was where I wanted to be and there was no way I was leaving or running away now.

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><p>So yeah, I might squeeze out another chapter and an epilogue, but after that this story will be over. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you thought of it!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6: Heavenly

Thank you for your sweet reviews they were really amazing. Took me a bit longer than I had intended to update this, sorry about that. Also sorry for mistakes I missed. I wrote most of this on my phone and it doesn't have spell check and my computer isn't always kind enough to shift everything out…

Enjoy this chapter!

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><p>Chapter 6: Heavenly<p>

My eyes were thick with sleep. My head lay in a strange angle and I knew I should probably be having a terrible muscle ache in about every part of my body. Yet I felt perfectly happy and relaxed as I woke up.

I moved my hand over the surface where it was sprawled out. It was new and familiar at the same time.

I became aware of more things around me. The arms around my waist keeping me close to the other still sleeping form beside me. The fact that my head lay on his chest.

I moved slightly to look up at his face. His face was relaxed. I had a hard time keeping myself from leaning in and kissing him. Suddenly his eyes flung open.

'Hey.' His voice sounded raw.

'Hi.'

Well, he was awake now anyway, I thought. I might as well kiss him.

For once I wasn't worried about the usual things like morning breath or that maybe he regretted it. I mean, I had already managed spend the night in his bed, a part of the time I spend here I spend sleeping. If I managed that, there was nothing else to be scared of.

He kissed me back for a moment before I pulled away to look at him again.

He looked so different in the morning than he did during the day at work. Where he normally was so composed and kept together while focused on the job, he looked relaxed now, unguarded. I liked this side of him more than I ever thought possible.

'So,' he said shifting slightly so he could sit up and pull me with him. He pressed a soft kiss on my head before speaking again. 'How about breakfast?'

I nodded in his chest as my stomach growled.

'Sounds great.' It was only now that I realized that the last meal I'd had was during yesterday shift. No wonder I was starving!

He didn't move immediately. He remained sitting there just a little while longer. His hand stroke my arm gently. I turned my head back to his bare chest and started tracing kisses.

I slowly made my way up towards his neck.

As I sucked on his skin I was suddenly surprised when I realized he had me pine down underneath him. I broke loose from his skin with a shocked grasp and looked him in the eyes. How did that happen? His eyes were dark and before I knew it he had started up right where I'd left off.

It was five minutes before parade started as we entered the station. His lips brushed against mine for the briefest of moments before we both disappeared into our respective changing rooms.

There was no one there so I hurriedly changed into my uniform before rushing back out and in to parade. Luckily it hadn't yet started and I was able to slip into a seat near the back. I threw a quick smile at Sam before turning to the front of the room. I noticed Traci's looks as well as those from the guys, but steadily continued my plan to ignore them. Yes, they had managed to finally get me and Sam together, coz icing was being honest with myself I was pretty sure it wouldn't have happened otherwise, but still they had crossed a line. Their punishment, I decided, would be having the torture of not knowing what had happened after we left. I was pretty sure my face gave it all away, but I wasn't planning on giving them a firsthand account of the events.

I hardly heard a word Best was saying. My thoughts had wondered back to last night and this morning and how tender he had been. It had been the perfect night, passionate and just perfect. There really was no other way to describe it.

'McNally, Swarek, you'll be riding together today. Right that's it. Serve protect and remember that for most of you this is the last shift before Christmas. Try not to get stuck underneath the mistletoe.' I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and quickly ducked my head. As I peeked up I noticed Sam's eyes waiting to meet mine. He didn't seem to pay that much attention to the others as they laughed. Instead he just waited for me to get up and we left the room together.

Somewhere along the way to the coffee stand Sam got pulled away by Oliver. I didn't stay around to listen to what they were talking about, my gut had a pretty good feeling of what it was about.

'So,' Traci said the moment I started to pour coffee into the cups, immediately causing it to spill right over. 'What happened last night?'

'Nothing,' I shrugged. I wasn't gonna cave that easily.

'You are totally lying! It's all over your face, it's all over his face too!' Traci said. I should have known it was impossible to keep a secret from my best friend. It really was to no use at all. I could try to not share all I wanted, she would know. By the way people had looked at me in parade, everybody seemed to know. Well, the penny was hardly a private place.

'Fine, something might have happened,' I gave her. I couldn't help the smile crossing my face as her face lit up as well.

Who cared who knew? What did it really matter? Thing between me and Sam finally seemed to be headed the right way. I was happy. What else mattered?

'Ready to go?' I heard his voice whisper in my ear. It gave me tingles all over and the coffee cups were shaking slightly as I turned around to face him. Full on dimpled smile was in place as he took his cup from me, hands lingering slightly as he did so.

'All set.' I hadn't exactly noticed that everyone around us had moved away to a safer distance to watch us interact. But as I turned around and saw them all move to go do their respective jobs I knew hey had been watching, hoping to catch us doing something inappropriate at the office.

It was the one thing we had discussed over our rather hurried breakfast as we were running late. At the office, things had to stay professional. We could not lose focus or something bad might happen. So no personal stuff while working, just professionalism. I seriously doubted how long we could continue to keep that one up, but we had to try, right?

We were walking out of the station when Sam suddenly pulled me into an empty office that was rarely used.

'What's the matter?' I asked. Had something happened when he spoke to Oliver? The look in his eyes showed his obvious worry about something. He checked the hallway before closing the door and turning the lock. Oh.

Within seconds he had crossed the room to where I was standing and his mouth was on mine. It was like that morning and last night, the moment our lips met nothing else mattered anymore, not in that moment anyway. The fact that we were at the office and were supposed to be out patrolling the streets didn't matter for the moment. Nothing matter except the fact that I wanted him closer to me.

Shift passed slowly and it was antagonizing. I guess Sam wasn't joking when he said we would be focusing on work rather than each other. There were glances and little touches that I would have dismissed before, but with the promise they held now it was hard to just pass them off.

Towards the end of shift we got a back up request for a car accident. As we arrived the place was already swarming with cops from fifteenth. One of the cars had caught on fire and there wasn't much we could do to fix it. We took some statements from bystanders who had seen it all happen and we were back on the road. Sometimes it was all there was to do.

'Don't let it get to you.'

He was right. I had no idea how often people had said those exact words to me, but it didn't make them any less true or necessary. I had seen a child seat in the car. Somebody had just lost a parent.

Somehow we got back to the station. I got out of the car and started walking through the halls towards the desks. We got to the locker rooms when Sam pulled me around the corner out of everyone's sight.

'You know that thing you do?' He asked before kissing my forehead. 'Over thinking everything? Stop it. The mom was fine and the kid will be too as soon as it gets to see its mommy again.'

I nodded while he pulled me close for a moment. Somehow he'd managed once again to take all the worries away. When he let go of me I was smiling.

'That's better,' he said as a smile crossed his face as well. I knew we were still at work but I couldn't help it. I pulled him closer to me and pressed my lips to his. It was only a short moment before we deepened the kiss. I lost track of where his hands were exactly as they seemed to be everywhere at the same time. It was perfect like this, we were perfect like this and I wouldn't want it any other way.

The clearing of a throat nearly made us jump to different sides of the hallway. Right, we were still in the hallway. At work. Right.

Frank stood before us and I felt the blush starting to rise to my cheeks.

'I know I told you to just kiss already, but then there was mistletoe involved. It was practically law then. But in here you keep it together, understood?'

'Yes.'

'Yes, sir.'

'Good. Then get back to work.'

We walked to our respective desks and sat down to get to work on the paperwork. Every few minutes I would glance up to see him staring at me to. Somehow it made me duck my head back down and work on the form I was trying to fill out. Finally I managed to squirm myself through the last form and sat back in my chair. I had somehow managed to finish right with the shift. When I looked up at Sam I found him gone. He must have already gone to the locker rooms to change, I figured so I got up myself as well and went to my locker room. I had a quick shower and went back to my locker to get dressed. It was a good thing we'd stopped by my place on the way over so I could change into some different clothes. I had quickly slipped in more clothes than necessary, I had a feeling I might not be home for a little while. As I put on my shoes the locker room door swung open and Traci entered.

'Hey,' I said as she sank down beside me. 'Rough day?'

'The worst.' She sighed and started to gather brethren things to take a shower. 'So, word in the street is you and Swarek got a little personal this morning,' she said although it sounded more like a plea for information to me.

'Who told you?' I asked shocked. There was nobody in sight when we entered or exited the office room. 'Who else knows?'

'Relax, Dov came to me all excited but I made him swear to shut up with a little leverage I still have on him. But you've got to keep it down, from what I've heard at least.'

I sighed. Of course it was Dov who was snooping around. At least Traci had managed to keep it quiet.

'We said we wouldn't do something while we were at work and now I find out that both times someone caught us.'

'What do you mean both times?' Traci asked.

I quickly filled her in about the last couple of hours.

'Well, at least he didn't treated to separate the two of you.'

I had my shoes on and shut my locker. Traci was moving to get to the showers.

'Hey, Trace?' I called out after her. She turned around towards me.

'Yeah?' She turned towards me.

'Who else knew about the, you know, mistletoe?' I asked. Somewhere along the day my anger had faded and it had been replaced with curiousness.

'Everyone knew, Andy.' She smiled at my shocked face. She turned back around but halfway through she seemed to remember something and turned back to face me. 'So, was it any good?' She asked.

'Heavenly,' I said, as butterflies took over my stomach at the thought from last night.

When I exited the locker room I saw Sam waiting o. me, casually leaning against the wall.

'Ready to go home?' He asked as he took my bag from me and placed an arm around my shoulder.

I looked at him as we made our way out side.

'Yes, I'm ready.'

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><p>Ok, so this was the last official chapter. There will be an epilogue because I simply can't resist it. Please do let me know what you thought of this one and thank you for reading!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7: Epilogue: One Year Later

I have to admit that I am slightly scared to post this nearly a year late. I have been slightly preoccupied with school and by the time I got some inspiration for this story again, it was nearly summer. So, I figured I'd wait till Christmas to post it. As for why I haven't been writing on my other stories either, a lot has happened. Like I said school took up a chunk of my time and I still didn't pass all my exams which, well to say the least, was a bit upsetting and uninspiring. Though this is the end of this story, I'll do my best to update my other stories shortly.

Thanks to all of you who are reading, have read and have stayed with this story for as long as it took me to finish it. For now, please enjoy the epilogue you've been promised and MERRY CHRISTMAS to everybody :)

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><p>Chapter 7: Epilogue: One Year Later<p>

It was Christmas day. For some reason most of our group had managed to pulled the shortest straw and had to work. It was a slow day as we drove around the streets of Toronto. Most people were huddled up inside the comfort and warmed of their own homes. There hadn't been a single call yet all day, there were hardly any people on the streets and I was beginning to wonder if it was any use at all to drive around the way Sam was driving now. I was sure that we had come by every street in the district already and it wasn't even near lunch time yet.

Just then, the radio crackled to life, informing us about some kind of b & e. Sam reached for the radio but before he had a chance to speak we could already hear Dov's voice responding to the call. Apparently he was sitting with the radio in his hands waiting for a call to come in. In a way I understood. If we had to work today, it might as well be that we actually had some work to do.

'Uhg!' I muttered. I leaned back into my seat and closed my eyes momentarily. I'd had yesterday off, like Sam and we'd spent most of the day at his place. The memories made their way in as I suddenly felt a hand on my knee, slowly making its way up my leg.

I flung my eyes back open and looked at Sam. I noticed that we had somehow gotten to an abandoned part of town. On regular days this part of town was busy. But now, with shops closed and people in their homes for the holidays there was no one to be seen.

'Sam,' I said, trying to make it sound as a warning but fully aware it didn't come out as one in the slightest.

'We're not technically at the office, McNally,' he pointed out to me.

'But we are at work,' I tried as he moved his hand upward even more as his mouth started to make its way along my throat. I knew my walls were starting to fall apart and if he continued like that...

'We haven't had anything to do all day. It is still too early for the drunks to start wandering the streets. We haven't had any calls and we won't get any for the next hour or so at least. Just relax.' I felt as the last few words vibrated on my skin. So much for keeping that up and trying to be the wise one.

I pulled his head up to mine and crushed my lips against his. Somehow he'd unbuckled my seat belt and had pulled me closer to him. It was crazy what we were doing, we should not be doing this, not here. Someone could see us, we could get fired. We'd said we weren't going to do this again and yet, here we were.  
>A buzzing sound coming from his pocket made us jump apart just as his hands started to make its way up underneath my vest, which was quite an achievement if you came to think of it. Panting slightly he dug up the phone and answered.<p>

'Hello?'  
>We were still sitting quite close together, so it was easy to hear what was being said on the other end of the line.<p>

'Why aren't you answering dispatch? Where the hell are you?' Best's voice came booming through the speaker.

'There seems to be something wrong with the radio, trying to fix it now.'

I knew the look on my face must be rather shocked. There was no way the radio was actually broken. He must have managed to shut it off without my realizing it. But then again, I had been rather distracted.

'Never mind that for now, Swarek, just head over to Main Street, there is a fire going on and they could use the back up.'

'Right, we'll be right on our way.' He put the phone back where he got it from and looked at me.

'Looks like we've got some work to do,' he muttered as he flipped on the sirens and radio in one go.

It took a surprisingly short time to get to the scene, which wasn't hard to miss as flames were seemingly coming from all sides of the building. The firefighters were already at work, getting their hoses ready and gearing up to go inside.

'Do me one favor,' Sam said as he pulled up at a safe distance from the building. 'Don't pull any heroics and run in to that building when there's still a danger of it collapsing.'

'You've got it,' I said as I gave him a quick smile before getting out of the car.

Oliver and Chris were already at the scene doing what they could to keep curious viewers at a distance. It was clear they could use a hand.

Over two hours in later, with all of us almost turned into human snowmen, the fire was finally put out. The firefighters had found evidence which pointed to arson which meant we would have to go file twice the amount of reports once we got back to the station.

When we finally got there the snow had really picked up and it was starting to get really dangerous on the road. Accidents were bound to start rolling in soon.

Once I sat down at my desk and was waiting for my computer to start up I checked the clock somehow shift was almost over which meant Christmas was about to start.

I could already taste the delicious food, feel the warmth and joy of the people I cared about most all gathered. And later tonight… well that would be quite something too, I was sure.

'You know, you shouldn't be smiling like that when were still stuck at work,' Dov said. Once I looked up I couldn't help but laugh.

'What happened to you?' I asked once I was able to speak again.

'Some kids decided to reenact home alone. They forgot to reset the alarm and obviously to remove all their booby-traps.' The paint had started to dry in his hair. He looked ridiculous. 'You laugh, someday this will happen to you and I will be on the first row! I'll see you later at Noelle and Frank's.'

I watched as he walked away before turning to my computer which had finally started. I started typing my notes into the forms. It was one of the most boring jobs but it was one that had to be done.

I looked up as Sam sat down at his desk opposite from me. He had an odd smile on his face, the kind of smile he didn't show that often.

I looked at him questioningly, but he didn't budge. I decided to let it go for now, I'd tell me later, or else I'd find a way to get it out of him.

Finally, it was time to leave. I had a quick shower before getting into my Christmas outfit. The soft fabric wasn't something I usually wore, but the occasion had pushed me to choose something a little more special.

I got my things together and walked out of the locker room to find Sam waiting for me outside, as always.

'You look beautiful,' he said as he took my hand and started walking me towards the door and his truck.

'Thank you.'

'How about we skip the party? I've got something you need to see?' he whispered in my ear before kissing me softly on the cheek.

'Tonight? We can't. We promised we'd be there.'

'And what would you say if I told you I've got it covered?'

I couldn't help but wonder what he had done, but I knew better than to ask. He would never tell if he didn't want to. Nor was there any point in arguing with him.

'So where are we going?' I asked as a smile crept up my face.

'You'll see.' He opened the door and helped me in. As he walked to his side of the car I noticed him take his time as he was looking down at his phone in his hand, but by the time he entered the car there was no phone to be seen.

We were silent as he drove through the quiet Toronto streets. Everybody was inside celebrating the holiday.

'Where are we going?' I asked confused once Sam got off the main roads and headed into a nice neighborhood where I knew Frank and Noelle were living. I'd figured we'd be headed to Sarah's place, a nice hotel maybe.

'Just wait.' He came to a stop. 'Cover your eyes,' he said.

'What?' I asked surprised. Sam reached behind him and took a scarf from the back seat.

'Here,' he said as he put it over my eyes.

Once he was sure the blindfold wouldn't fall off, I heard him start up the car again. We only took a few turns before the car came to a stop once again.

'Stay here,' Sam said as I heard him get out.  
>'Yeah, right. It's not like I can see where I'm going anyway,' I muttered right before I felt the door open beside me. Sam unbuckled my seatbelt and lifted me out of the car.<br>'Sam,' I gasped as he held me bridal style. 'What are you doing? Put me down!'  
>'Just a moment, '<br>He walked a few paces before putting me down.  
>'Now, will you finally tell me what the hell is going on?' I asked as I struggled to get the blindfold off my eyes.<br>I suddenly felt his hands on my head, taking over where I got stuck. It took me a few moments to see straight after the blindfold was removed. Then I saw a soft glow coming from a house in front of us.  
>'Sam, what's going on?' I asked.<br>He didn't say anything, he just took my hand and led me inside.

The place truly was beautiful. A right size family home. But it still didn't explain why Sam had brought me here.

'What are we doing here?' I ask while still looking around.

'Well we've been talking about moving in together a lot and then I started looking around and I stumbled upon this place and well… what do you think?' He looked a little bit flustered as he spoke, which made him look like a little kid.

'Well I love the place, but are you serious? Do you really want to live here? With me?'

'Andy, there is no one I'd rather share this house with then you,' Sam said as he took my hands in his and stared into my eyes.

'Are you sure?' I asked as my heart beat picked up. I could surly see the two of us living here together for the rest of our lives.

'I'm sure,' Sam said.

'Well, then where do we sign?' I said laughing from excitement. Sam smiled as his face came closer to mine. Right before our lips met I heard him whisper.

'I love you.'

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><p>Thank all of you so much for reading, subscribing, favoriting and reviewing this story. It means a lot that there are so many of you willing to take the time to read what I write. Thank you.<p>

B


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